modulate

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UK/ˈmɒd͡ʒɪleɪt/UK/ˈmɒd͡ʒəˌleɪt/US, dialectal/ˈmɑ.d͡ʒəˌleɪt/US, dialectal/ˈmɑ.djuˌleɪt/

verb

To change the pitch, intensity or tone of one's voice or of a musical instrument.

Similar
toneinflectregulate
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbmodulate (third-person singular simple present modulates, present participle modulating, simple past and past participle modulated)

present singular third person modulates · participle present modulating · participle past modulated · past modulated

  1. To regulate, adjust or adapt.
    1. transitiveTo change the pitch, intensity or tone of one's voice or of a musical instrument.

      "Can you tell?" she asked, in a trembling but well modulated and sensual voice.

      1980 April 19, Andrea Loewenstein, “Random Lust”, in Gay Community News, page 10
    2. transitivebusinessTo vary the amplitude, frequency or phase of a carrier wave in proportion to the amplitude etc of a source wave (such as speech or music).
    3. intransitivetransitiveentertainmentTo move from one key or tonality to another, especially by using a chord progression.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbvary the pitch of one's speech

Similar
toneinflect
Broader
talkspeakutter

verbfix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of

Similar
regulate
Broader
adjustsetcorrect
Also see
inflectregulatetone

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From Latin modulor (“to measure, regulate, modulate”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from modulus (“measure”). Compare module, modulus. By surface analysis, modul(e) + -ate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian модулирам, модилирам
  • модулирам (moduliram)to change the pitch (transitive)
  • модилирам (modiliram)to vary the amplitude etc.
  • променям (promenjam)to regulate
  • регулирам (reguliram)to regulate
Catalan modular, modular
  • modularto vary the amplitude etc.
  • modularto regulate
Chinese Mandarin 轉調 /转调, 移調 /移调
  • 轉調 /转调 (zhuǎndiào)to move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • 移調 /移调 (yídiào)to move from one key to another (intransitive)
Danish modulere, modulere
  • modulereto change the pitch (transitive)
  • modulereto move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • modulereto regulate
  • regulereto regulate
Dutch moduleren, moduleren
  • modulerento vary the amplitude etc.
  • modulerento move from one key to another (intransitive)
Finnish moduloida, moduloida
  • moduloidato change the pitch (transitive)
  • moduloidato vary the amplitude etc.
  • moduloidato move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • moduloituato move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • säännelläto regulate
French moduler, moduler
  • modulerto change the pitch (transitive)
  • modulerto vary the amplitude etc.
  • modulerto move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • modulerto regulate
German modulieren, modulieren
  • modulierento move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • modulierento regulate
Italian modulare, modulare
  • modulareto move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • modulareto regulate
Māori whakaauau, whakaauau
  • whakaauauto change the pitch (transitive)
  • whakaauauto regulate
Polish cieniować, modulować
  • cieniowaćto change the pitch (transitive)
  • modulowaćto change the pitch (transitive)
  • zmodulowaćto change the pitch (transitive)
  • modulowaćto vary the amplitude etc.
  • zmodulowaćto vary the amplitude etc.
  • modulować sięto move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • zmodulować sięto move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • modulowaćto regulate
  • zmodulowaćto regulate
Portuguese modular
  • modularto regulate
Russian модулировать, модули́ровать
  • модулировать (modulirovatʹ)to vary the amplitude etc.
  • модули́ровать (modulírovatʹ)to move from one key to another (intransitive)
  • модулировать (modulirovatʹ)to regulate
Spanish modular
  • modularto regulate
Ukrainian модулюва́ти, модулюва́ти
  • модулюва́ти (moduljuváty)to vary the amplitude etc.
  • модулюва́ти (moduljuváty)to move from one key to another (intransitive)
Cite this entry
APA

modulate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modulate

MLA

“modulate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modulate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modulate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modulate.

Source: modulate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.